Chocolate Zucchini Muffin

The muffins I baked yesterday were such a hit, they are almost gone. I intended to have muffins on hand so my husband and son could grab them on the way out in the morning for a quick breakfast. Well, back to the kitchen for me. Today I feel like Chocolate Zucchini Muffins.

I am combining a recipe I have for Chocolate Zucchini Bread and another recipe for spice muffins. One of the recipes come from an old cookbook that I inherited from my mother-in-law, who probably bought it from a neighborhood fundraiser. The other recipe is from one of my ever growing files that I stuff recipes in, that "I'll make someday". I guess today is the day.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffin Recipe
These muffins should be called Spicy COCO-Zucchini Muffins, Zucchini Bread’s sassy cousin!

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup canola oil
½ cup yogurt
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2.5 cups grated zucchini
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 T wheat germ
1 T crushed flax seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease or line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.
In a large bowl beat the eggs. Beat in the sugar, oil, and yogurt. Add the cocoa, vanilla, zucchini and stir well.
Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom. Mix until just moist. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins filling all the way full. Put muffins in the oven, set timer for 20 minutes and increase temperature to 380 degrees F.

Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

And the cupboard was bare...Blueberry Yogurt Flax Muffins

Blueberry Yogurt Flax Muffins

No butter, no milk, no worries. I wanted to make muffins with all the blueberries my Aunt Lily was so kind to give me. I froze most of the blueberries so I would have them handy for smoothies. Another very rainy day in Seattle and a smoothie just didn't seem appealing.

Oh, how nice it would be to smell freshly baked muffins today. Blueberry muffins it is. NO, no, no...no butter. Forget it. Wait. I checked out a few recipes online like foodnetwork, cooks.com, hmmm. I also looked through a few of my old cookbooks. Well, I combined a few recipes and added a few healthy ingredients and SUCCESS! My biggest critics, husband & son, loved my blueberry muffin creation.

Blueberry Yogurt Flax Muffins

Blueberry Yogurt Flax Muffins (Recipe adapted from Alton Brown)

Preheat oven to 380 degrees F.

Combine the following, reserving 1 teaspoon flour, whisk and set aside:12 1/2 ounces cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, pinch salt, 1 T wheat germ, 1 T crushed flax seeds

In a mixing bowl, combine the following:1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 egg 1 cup "good Greek" yogurt

Toss 1 teaspoon of the flour mixture with 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries and mix into the muffin batter. Mix by hand just to combine.

Scoop batter into a lined muffin pan. Put the muffins in the oven, set timer to 20 minutes and increase the temperature to 400 degrees F.

Enjoy!!!

The Ultimate Roast Chicken

Just when I thought I made the best roast chicken, Julia had to remind me I was was wrong. PBS was running a few of her classic shows. This particular show started with all the chickens, capons, hens, etc. all lined up. This scene has been spoofed by SNL and The Muppets...remember? I was cracking up watching Julia since she was silent a few times, as if she had forgotten her lines, also, talk about cross contamination. Touch raw chicken, touch a knife, touch string, touch scissors, you get what I'm saying. Well, I think we are a little too cautious these days, Julia lived longer than I expect to live!!!

Well, sorry to say, I did not use Julia's method on the rotisserie. I don't have a rotisserie. However, now I was determined to make roast chicken for dinner. Tyler Florence to the rescue! Tyler's Ultimate Roast Chicken. The sides Tyler chose for the chicken were watercress, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Unfortunately, those were the sides for the Ultimate Chicken Pot Pie that I made the other day. Also, I am back on Phase I on the South Beach Diet, so no carbs AGAIN.

Here's the first difference between Tyler Florence's roast chicken and mine. Oranges, Parsley, Oregano, and Thyme. I always stuff chicken with Lemon and Rosemary.

Mix the herbs with butter & rub underneath the skin. I use olive oil, but butter is always good.

Stuff the chicken with orange, half the onion, and half the roasted garlic. Place the chicken, breast side up, in the pan with the remaining onion and garlic. Now, put 6 slices of bacon on top of the chicken. How bad can it be? Julia puts bacon on her chicken too! Into the oven for 25 minutes at 425 degrees.

Take the bacon off the chicken and put the chicken back in the oven for 25 more minutes. I added celery to the pan to cook.

So delicious!

The Ultimate Roast Chicken

adapted from Tyler Florence

Ingredients:

1 (5 1/2 pound) free-range chicken

1/2 bunch each fresh oregano, thyme, and parsley
1/4 pound unsalted butter, softened

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 orange

I whole roasted bulb of garlic, halved

1 medium white onion, halved, plus 1 onion

6 strips smoked bacon

Suggested Sides: steamed cauliflower and roasted celery

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out. Pat it dry with paper towels. Divide the herbs, keeping 1/2 of them whole. Finely chop the other half. In a small bowl,
mash the softened butter with the chopped herbs, until combined. Rub the herbed butter under the skin, as well as all over the outside of the chicken. Season the bird all
over with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, garlic, 1 onion, and the remaining herbs. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape. Place
the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Put the remaining onion into the pan, which will help color and flavor the sauce. Lay the strips of bacon across the breast of
the chicken and roast for 25 minutes.

Remove the bacon and baste the chicken with the drippings and cook for another 25 minutes to brown the skin. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer
reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.) Remove the chicken to a platter
and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving.

Meanwhile, remove the softened onion from the roasting pan. You can make gravy at this point with the drippings, but I put my steamed cauliflower in the roasting pan with the other vegetables and put the vegetables back in the oven for 10 minutes while the chicken rests. Before serving, toss all the vegetables and serve with chicken.

To serve, carve the chicken tableside and squeeze the oranges from the cavity over the meat.

TGIF - We all deserve a treat

Trixie Bakes Brownies

...sorry hubby snuck a bite of the Blonde Bombshell and didn't tell me

Try to imagine the perfect combination of a silky piece of fudge and a rich dense brownie. Pure Decadence. I found this perfect combination when I first bit into a Trixie Bakes Dulce de Lecherous brownie. Melts in your mouth.

Trixie Bakes makes 4 other flavors; Blonde Bombshell, Nut-Orious, Juiced Up, and In the Dark. I can't say I have a favorite. With each brownie, comes its own individual flavor package. Truly something for everyone.

I was not going to have sugar until tomorrow, but sassy Trixie on the package was calling my name. I tried hiding the sinful little treats in the freezer so I'd forget about them , but NO. OK, I have no guilt. Worth every bite, beside, I deserve a little happiness...TGIF and what a great way to celebrate!!!

Enjoy the long weekend.

Trying out Tyler - Ultimate Chicken Pot Pie

I am a big fan of Tyler Florence. He makes everything look so easy and delicious on his food shows. Until now, I have primarily been a Tyler Florence fan, however, rarely try out the recipes. I have chosen a few "Ultimate" menus and crossing my fingers the food is as good as it looks.

Watercress Salad with fruit and nuts

The rain has started making an appearance here in the Northwest, perfect weather for Ultimate Chicken Pot Pie. I actually saw the Ultimate Pot Pie episode, but didn't pay much attention to the process, I thought, if Tyler can make a whole meal in the time the show is on, how hard can it be. Well, don't believe what you see. I found the recipe on the FoodNetwork website, along with the watercress salad and mashed potatoes Tyler made on the show. I read the recipes and the reviews. The reviews were good and bad.

I don't remember making Chicken Pot Pie before, especially since I doubt I would have wanted to deal with the pie dough. On the recipe difficulty was listed as "Easy" and the total cooking time, 1.5 hours. Hmmm, not bad. So let's get started. The whole chicken goes into a stock pot, cover with cold water and then add the "chopped" vegetables. Not a big deal. Next bring the water to a boil and then let simmer for 45 minutes. You think to yourself, "I'm halfway done, right?"

Strain the stock, discard the vegetables, and cool the chicken. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Take the chicken and separate all the meat from the bones, remove skin. Now, make the roux, take the frozen puff pastry out to thaw, and chop the parsley and the carrots. The other vegetables were frozen peas and frozen baby white onions. So I made the roux added a lot of salt and pepper, added 6 cups of stock (2 cups less than on the recipe) and then added the chicken and vegetables. Bland, bland, bland. I added more salt and pepper AND garlic powder. Much better.

I set the chicken aside and turned the heat off. I got started with the mashed potatoes. Basic mashed potato technique, boil, drain, mash, add butter, sour cream, horseradish, salt & pepper. I almost omitted the horseradish, but glad I stuck to the recipe.

Back to the pot pies... filled the large ramekins with chicken mixture, only 3/4 of the way, and then topped with puff pastry. Into a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, wait, wait, DELICIOUS!

Ultimate Chicken Pot Pie

Recipe Adapted from The Ultimate Pot Pie by Tyler Florence

The Ultimate Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

Chicken Broth:

1 whole chicken, 3 pounds

1 gallon cool water

2 carrots, cut in 2-inch pieces (I used 1 small sweet potato)

2 celery stalks, cut in 2-inch pieces

1 onion, halved

1 head garlic, halved horizontally (I peeled all the cloves)

2 turnips, halved

4 fresh thyme sprigs (I used dried, 1 tsp.)

2 fresh rosemary sprigs

1 bay leaf

Pot Pie:

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 carrots, cut in 1/2-inch circles

1 bag frozen or fresh pearl onions, see note

1 box frozen or fresh peas, see note

Leaves from 4 fresh parsley sprigs

2 frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

1 egg mixed with 3 tablespoons water

1/4 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Put the chicken in a large stockpot and cover with 1 gallon of cool water. Add the vegetables and herbs and bring the pot up to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim well; then simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, skimming frequently as the oil rises to the surface. What we're doing here is not only cooking the chicken but also creating the base sauce for the pot pie. Remove the chicken to a platter to cool. Continue to cook down the chicken broth for another 15 minutes to condense the flavor; you should have about 8 cups when you're finished. Using a colander, strain the chicken broth into another pot and discard the solids. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and discard the skin and bones.

Wipe out the stockpot and put it back on the stovetop over medium heat. Melt the butter and then whisk in the flour to form a paste. This is a roux, which will act as a thickener. Now, gradually pour in 8 cups (I only used 6 cups, that was a little too much, 5 cups is best) of the chicken broth, whisking the entire time to prevent lumps. Whisk and simmer for 10 minutes to cook out the starchy taste of the flour and thicken the broth; it should look like cream of chicken soup. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in the shredded chicken, carrots, pearl onions, peas, and parsley. Stir to combine and turn off the heat. (I simmered for 20 minutes longer. the onions tasted raw and bitter. I won't use the frozen onions again in the future. I will replace the frozen onions with 1 large chopped Walla Walla Sweet.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lay the thawed puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured, cool surface. Invert individual crocks on the pastry sheet and, using a sharp knife, cut circles around the outside of the bowls, slightly larger than the bowl itself. Fill the crocks 3/4 of the way with the chicken mixture, making sure each serving has a nice amount of chicken, vegetables, and broth. Carefully cap each crock with a pastry circle, pressing the dough around the rim to form a seal. Lightly beat the egg with 3 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash and brush some on the pastry. Sprinkle the pastry with the Parmigiano. Set the crocks on a cookie sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Back to School AND Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today was the 3rd day of the new school year and some thing was wrong. What, no Room Mom Meeting? No meeting with the teachers. Hmmm... I didn't even make a PB&J this morning. I must be the mother of a high school Senior.

Something else was missing. Ah, I know...get yourself organized and bake cookies!

What can I say, it's a tradition. School starts and I bake chocolate chip cookies. The difference this year is I am no longer on the PTSA, Chair of the Auction or making treats for teachers or anything.

Not exactly a low-calorie, low-carb, fat-free, sugar-free diet option, but everything in moderation. Well, I had 1 cookie and it was pretty good!

Nothing special with this cookie, it's your basic Nestle's Toll House Cookie, recipe on the bag.

Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. (I use unbleached parchment on the cookie sheet.)
BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Tuesday - Rest Day...no workout

I planned for a workout today, but I my legs were super sore when I woke up. The weather this morning did not inspire me to move much, cloudy followed by drizzle.

I took a Costco trip today with my friend. I haven't been to Costco in over a year. Hard to justify purchasing too much at Costco for my family of 3. I go to the Farmer's Market for all our produce and we don't have a huge need for bagels, cereal, muffins, etc. by the 3 dozen, so all I bought was meats, salmon, almonds and eggs. I do love Costco, but this time I did not need paper products, cleaning products, drinks, or snacks.

Well, I made Costco ribs for my husband & son for dinner, sauteed some zucchini, and steamed corn. I didn't eat any of the dinner. I was still full from the nuts I ate earlier.

(B) 2 egg omelet/ 1 slice Swiss/ tea/ water
(S)
(L) chop salad/ hummus/ babaganouj/ water
(S) nuts/ iced tea/ dark chocolate
(D)

I am not going to post my food log anymore. Tomorrow I am moving to Phase II on the South Beach Diet and start enjoying my life. I have kept away from most junk food, breads, fruits, candy, and cocktails. I love to cook and eat out. Moderation, moderation, moderation!